Anger at children playing is hampering development

Children are having their development stifled by parents and
other adults who are stopping them from playing outdoors, according
to a new report.

Eighty per cent of children said they have been told off for
playing outdoors, while half say they have been shouted at.

Two-thirds of seven to 16-year-olds questioned by the
Children’s Society said they would like to play outside
daily. But a quarter of those aged between 11- and 16-year-olds
were threatened with violence for playing outside and a third of
younger children said that being told off stops them playing
outdoors.

Of those aged between seven and 11, 46 per cent said they were
told off by parents and 15 per cent by neighbours for playing on
the street. Twenty-eight per cent were told they were “making a
noise” while a quarter were told they were a “nuisance”.

A spokesperson for the Children’s Society said: “Playing
outdoors is a fundamental part of everyone’s childhood, but
that is being threatened by a culture of intolerance towards
children’s play in public.”

The charity said it had also found evidence of increasing
restrictions on children playing in public spaces and a growing
number of bylaws against skateboarding, cycling and ball games.

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